Santa Ana, New Mexico
New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA) provides civil legal services to low-income New Mexicans to promote family and economic stability, helping clients access food, shelter, security, and to preserve their unique cultural heritages. NMLA has locations throughout the state, including Santa Ana Pueblo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gallup, Roswell, Silver City, and Taos.
NMLA’s Native American Program (NAP) provides free legal services – both civil and criminal – to eligible low-income Native Americans living on or near the 19 Pueblos and the Mescalero Apache tribe in New Mexico. In addition to cases promoting family and economic stability, NAP prioritizes cases arising because of someone’s status as a Native American, including tribal and Indian law, estate planning involving tribal property, racial discrimination, and tribal criminal court cases. Much of NAP’s caseload is comprised of cases in Pueblo courts.
This position is based on Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, but requires occasional statewide travel.
In close partnership with the NAP Director, the Litigation Managing Attorney is primarily responsible for providing oversight of NAP’s legal work, ensuring compliance with Legal Services Corporation regulations, ensuring that NAP is meeting the legal priorities in conformance with NMLA and NAP policies and procedures, and providing litigation-related professional development to NAP Staff Attorneys.
In close partnership with the NAP Director, the Litigation Managing Attorney is primarily responsible for providing oversight of NAP’s legal work, ensuring compliance with Legal Services Corporation regulations, ensuring that NAP is meeting the legal priorities in conformance with NMLA and NAP policies and procedures, and providing litigation-related professional development to NAP Staff Attorneys.
Duties: the Litigation Managing Attorney is responsible for the following tasks, under the supervision and direction of the NAP Director:
• Provides supervision and mentoring of NAP Staff Attorneys, Paralegal, Secretary, and volunteers in case handling matters. This includes at least monthly 1-on-1s with NAP case workers to review cases and provide mentorship.
• Carries a caseload as sole or co-counsel for low-income individuals with legal issues matching NAP’s priorities.
• Oversees NAP intake, prepares cases for case acceptance, and assigns cases to NAP Staff Attorneys.
• Assesses NAP legal work to ensure it meets NMLA and NAP priorities and standards.
• Oversees and reviews all NAP casework.
• Approves NAP litigation cases in line with NAP’s priorities.
• Organizes monthly training for NAP.
• Ensures NAP case handling in compliance with LSC (Legal Services Corporation) requirements and applicable rules of professional conduct.
• Reviews NAP closed cases to ensure LSC compliance.
• Operates as primary point of contact for Pueblo courts in which NAP operates, receiving court appointments and overseeing NAP court admissions.
• Analyzes NAP applicants’ needs to propose strategies that could have systemic impacts.
• Performs other managerial or administrative duties as requested by the NAP Director.
Qualifications:
• Understanding of tribal law and federal and state Indian law, particularly in areas handled by NAP case workers, including court procedures;
• Experience – lived or professional – in low-income tribal communities, preferably Pueblo communities;
• Experience as an attorney, including experience in tribal courts, on matters concerning the unique status of Native persons;
• Admission to practice in New Mexico required or ability to become licensed to practice in New Mexico;
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team, including adjusting communication for a variety of cultural backgrounds and learning styles;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Prior experience managing others, particularly in legal work, preferred;
• Willingness and ability to travel across the New Mexico;
• Ability to effectively use computer technology and remote communications systems, including shared on-line workspaces and web meeting and videoconferencing software, to effectively supervise and co-counsel with staff located in multiple offices;
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, manage a caseload, and build collaborative relationships within NMLA staff and the communities NAP serves.
Applicants must submit a current resume and a cover letter to be considered. Your cover letter should include how you satisfy the skills and qualifications specified above and explain your interest in this position and the mission of NMLA. Your application will not be considered unless we receive both of these documents. To apply click here.